Sweltering heat; hot enough to fry eggs on the street. Thick, stuffy air hanging in our homes. No cool wind that refreshens. No humidity that might bring rain. Not even a patch of cloud in the sky. It is definitely here; the month of April.
In much of the northern hemisphere, April generally signifies the coming of spring and the end of the long, cold spell that is winter. But in my country, some thick patches of earth scattered on the western-most arm of the Pacific Ocean, April is the month when the whole country is transformed into a large thermostat. This is the beginning of summer time for most Filipinos as children are on vacation and strings of national holidays means office workers are out-to-beach.
For some unknown reasons, April turns out to be my favorite month of the year. I've been pondering on that for quite a few years or so. The most probable reason: it's the most JAPANIZED month of the year for me. But what has Japan to do in a country 3,400 kilometers to its south?
There is no concrete answer to that, I guess it's just that I'm a certified Japanophile in this time of the year. It is when I like to visit with places with a Japanese connection like the nearby shopping mall which to me is the "most Japanized mall" in the country, the airport, the Japanese embassy, Little Tokyo, the 88-peso Japanese retail stores, Japanese grocery stores, and everything that has 'Japan' in its name. It is when I like to eat everything Japanese from the harmless tempura to the oh-so-exhilirating unagi-don.
I've pinpointed where it all began. The 1995-1997 TV Tokyo anime series 'Mojacko' was the first to open me up to Japan. I watched it for the first time on April 1998 over GMA-7. I just finished 2nd grade there. It is where I learned some of their language, their culture, the cuisine that makes me drool, and every stuff that I can perceive as totally Japanese. At around the same time, I stumbled over 'Oh!Tokyo' on WINS Television, a Filipino-Japanese cable televison channel. Its now chief reporter Ellen Nishiumi (Eleanor Legasto-Nishiumi in real life) has always been my idol on Japanese TV. With her, she strolled viewers to various places in Tokyo although sometimes she also does short hops on neighboring prefectures. She tasted every meal, rode every thrill ride, talked to various local folks, and bought anything that catches her eye and allowed by her budget.
The lethal combination of Mojacko and Oh!Tokyo is a sure fire formula for everyone who'll definitely fall in love with Japan. April also coincides with Hanami and sakura trees across Japan are in full bloom.
It was on April 6, 2004 that I really got hooked into my most favorite TV show of all time, 'Tensai Terebikun MAX' on NHK (refer to my old blog http://jmreyes.blogs.friendster.com). Batch 2004 was awesome and that made me into a real otaku in no time. My craze for the show made me experience what it's really like to be a fan. As a person that takes first more necessary matters in hand, I was caught off-guard when I realized that I'm already a fan myself. I'm no freak on TV shows and celebrities but with Tensai, I think I have to make an exception.
In Japan, April means everything is new. New fiscal year, new faces, a new start. And with Japan trailing along with me every April, I think I won't doubt anymore why this is the most wonderful time of the year.
(Written by JM 'Fuji' Reyes, Manila)
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